Website Cost Calculator

How Much Does a Website Cost in the UK? (2026 Guide)

Website costs in the UK vary dramatically depending on what you need. A simple one-page landing site can cost as little as £500, while a complex e-commerce platform or web application can run into six figures. The key factors are website type, design complexity, number of pages, and the features and integrations you require.

In 2026, UK freelancers typically charge between £300 and £500 per day, while agencies charge £500 to £1,200 per day. A standard business website with 10 pages, custom design, a CMS, and basic SEO setup will cost between £3,000 and £10,000 from a freelancer, or £5,000 to £25,000 from an agency. E-commerce websites start at around £3,000 for a simple shop and can exceed £80,000 for enterprise-level platforms with custom integrations.

The cheapest option is a DIY website builder like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify, which costs £150 to £500 per year including hosting. These are suitable for very small businesses or personal projects but offer limited customisation and performance compared to a professionally built site. For businesses that depend on their website for revenue, a professional build almost always delivers better results.

Use our free calculator above to get a personalised estimate based on your specific requirements. The prices are based on current UK market rates for 2026 and give you a realistic range for budgeting your project.

Factors That Affect Website Cost

The biggest cost driver is design level. Template-based designs cost a fraction of bespoke, handcrafted designs. Next is functionality — a simple brochure site needs far less development time than an e-commerce platform with inventory management, payment processing, and user accounts. Content creation (copywriting, photography, video) is often overlooked but can add thousands to a project. Finally, ongoing costs like hosting, maintenance, domain renewal, and security should be factored into your annual budget.

Other factors include responsive design (essential in 2026), accessibility compliance, SEO setup, third-party integrations (CRM, email marketing, analytics), and whether you need multi-language support. The more complex your requirements, the more hours of design and development are needed — and that directly impacts cost.

DIY vs Freelancer vs Agency

DIY (Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com) is best for solo entrepreneurs and micro-businesses with very simple needs and tight budgets. You'll build and manage everything yourself, which saves money but costs time and limits what you can achieve.

Freelancers offer the best value for small to medium projects. You get personal service, direct communication, and lower overhead costs. The trade-off is limited capacity — one person can only do so much, and availability can vary.

Agencies are ideal for larger projects that require a team of specialists — designers, developers, project managers, and strategists. You pay a premium for their structured processes, quality assurance, and ongoing support, but you get a more polished, reliable result. For mission-critical websites, the investment is often well worth it.